Contents:
Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly
List of actions proposed and endorsed by Assembly
List of speakers and written proposals
Summary of interventions from the floor and written proposals
Chaired by Trevor Ngwane (South Africa) and Wahu Kaara(Kenya)
Opening declaration of the assembly read by Wahu Kaara, Kenya organising committee of the WSF:
AFRICAN STRUGGLES, GLOBAL STRUGGLES
We, social movements from across Africa and across the world, have come together here in Nairobi at the 2007 World Social Forum to highlight and celebrate Africa and her social movements; Africa and her unbroken history of struggle against foreign domination, colonialism and neo-colonialism; Africa and her contributions to humanity; Africa and her role in the quest for another world.
We are here to celebrate and reaffirm the spirit of the World Social Forum as a space of struggle and solidarity which is open to all people and social movements regardless of their ability to pay.
We denounce tendencies towards commercialisation, privatisation and militarisation of the WSF space. Hundreds of our sisters and brothers who welcomed us to Nairobi have been excluded because of high costs of participation.
We are also deeply concerned about the presence of organisations working against the rights of women, marginalised people, and against sexual rights and diversity, in contradiction to the WSF Charter of Principles.
The social movements assembly has created a platform for Kenyans and other Africans from different backgrounds and communities to present their struggles, alternatives, cultures, talents and skills. It is also a space for civil society organisations and social movements to interact and share the issues and problems affecting them.
Since the first assembly in 2001, we have contributed to building and strengthening successful international networks of civil societies and social movements and reinforced our spirit of solidarity and our struggles against all forms of oppression and domination.
We recognise that the diversity of movements and popular initiatives against neo-liberalism, orld hegemony of capitalism and imperial wars, is an expression of a world resistance.
[We recognise that the diversity of movements and popular initiatives against neo-liberalism, world hegemony of capitalism and imperial wars, is an expression of a world resistance.]
[We have now to move towards a phase of effective alternatives. Many local initiatives are already existing and should be expanded: what is happening in Latin America and other parts of the world — thanks to the joint action of social movements — shows the way to establish concrete alternatives to world capitalist domination.]
As social movements from all five continents gathering in Nairobi, we express our solidarity with the social movements in Latin America whose persistent and continuing struggle has led to electoral victories for the Left in several countries.
[Additional text proposed by Samir Amin, and accepted by the assembly]
Actions
We are calling for a broad international mobilisation against the G8 in Rostock and Heiligendamm (Germany) 2-8 June 2007.
We will mobilise in our communities and movements for an International Day of Action in 2008.
This declaration was accepted by acclamation
Additional days of action proposed to, and supported by, the social movements assembly
LGTB
June 2007: Support the mobilisations for the respect of sexual diversity to make real the slogan “In a diverse world, equality is first” which will take place in June 2007 and 2008.
Debt
14-21 October 2007: A Global Week of Action against debt
(15 October - 20th anniversary of the death of Thomas Sankara; 16 October - World Food Day
17 October - International Day to Eradicate Poverty; 20 October - World Youth Day; 19-21 October - IMF-WB Annual meetings)
War and Occupation
February 24: No Trident, Troops out of Iraq Demo, London, UK
(Contact: campaigns(at)cnduk.org; office(at)stopwar.org.uk)
5-9 March 2007 : International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign
Military Bases, Quito/Manta, Ecuador, (Contact: nobases(at)yahoo.com)
17-20 March: Global Days of Action against Occupation of Iraq
29 March - 1 April 2007: Fifth Cairo Conference, Cairo, Egypt
(Contact: office(at)stopwar.org.uk/02072786694)
2 June 2007: G8 Protests, Rostock, Germany, call for all anti-war coalitions to put anti-war effort in the centre of the protest against the G8
15 May 2007: Global Protests marking the Palestine Nakbah
7-9 June: Global Days of Action to protest 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine Territories
29 November 2007: Call for Solidarity Activities with Palestine (global)
May 2008: “Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War” 2008, Tokyo, Japan
(Contact: article-9(at)peaceboat.gr.jp)
Palestine
9-10 June 2007: Global days of action to mark the 40th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Syrian Golan Heights, under the banner “The world says no to Israeli Occupation”
15 May 2007: Global day of action to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian nakbah (catastrophe) and calling for the implementation of resolution 194 which calls for the right of the Palestinian people to return to their land.
Water
18-20 March, 2007 - March 2009: Gather at the World Assembly of Citizens and Elected Officials in the European Parliament in Brussels, to demand that governments implement the right to water before the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which is 10 December 2008. From this point, via the global action month, Blue October, and other mobilisations, we will challenge the illegitimate World Water Forum, Istanbul March 2009.
Climate Change
8 December, 2007: International Day of Action on Climate Change
Housing
October: Launch of the worldwide campaign on “zero evictions” .
18 May, 2007: commemorating the anniversary of the Mugabe government’s eviction offensive in Zimbabwe.
Haiti
14 August 2007: Social forum in solidarity with Haiti.
Military Bases
17 February, 2007: March and mobilisation in Italy against the enlargement of the Vicenza US military base.
Migration
7 October, 2007: Day of action for the rights of migrants and the free movement of peoples in commemoration of the tragedies of Cueta and Melilla.
Some highlights...
From the Peoples Parliament, Kenya
“For many of us this is the first WSF. What I like about the WSF is that it brings the world to me as a Kenyan poor person: not only the world but the best of the world. In this room, I have met people who believe in the same things as the Peoples Parliament and people who are courageous enough to believe that a better world is possible. I am concerned that there are many Kenyans have not been able to attend the WSF. We have had to come every single morning to get those doors open so that ordinary Kenyan citizens can attend the WSF. We believe the WSF is a conversation by, between, and amongst people. It is not fair that 90 per cent of the people in the rooms are not Kenyans. That is not just. We have fought day after day after day to get in. But we are not just fighting to get in: we are fighting to be recognized because we are people too.”
From No Vox, Global
“At the next forum we want the”have not“movements to be represented and to be involved in the construction of the forum from the beginning. We cannot reproduce in our own space that things that we struggle against.”
From the Labour and Globalisation Assembly
“The proposal from the Labour and Globalisation Assembly is to create a permanent international network jointly with trade unions, social movements, researchers and research centres in order to strengthen our work on issues related to work, culture and workers’ rights in face of neoliberal globalisation’s attack.”
From Danny Glover, TransAfrica/actor, USA
“We have to allow the movement of people on the ground — whether they are women or artisans or labourers — to be the clarion call of what is to be done. We have to support and encourage that effort. You are the embodiment of that effort right now: your voice, your vision, is primary in what needs to be done to stop and defeat the policies of oppression, the policies which keep us apart, and keep us from telling the truth about out own existence. You are the essence of that. Amandla!”
From the Latin American and Caribbean Social Movements
“... in the words of the Angolan poet Antonio Netto, to construct this new world it is not enough that our cause is just and pure: purity and justice should exist within us. More than words, the fight to transform humanity needs actions that will bring together our hearts and our consciousness. Unfortunately this is not what we saw at this social forum. Because many Kenyan organisations were unable to participate because of logistical and economic reasons within their country.”
From the indigenous forums of Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, as well as Via Campesina, OCLAE
“... we are asking to the movements and to leaders and personalities to launch together the candidacy of Evo Morales for the Nobel prize.”
From the Africa Water Network
“We celebrate the launch of the new African Water Network, supported by activists from more than 40 African countries, plus social movements from around the world. This new network is committed to work against the privatisation of water and joins other strong regional water networks, like Red Vida in the Americas.”
From the Climate Justice Strategy Group
“Climate change is an issue of global justice. The only solution is structural change to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels. We reject carbon trading via free market fraud that commodifies and further destroys land, water and air.”
List of speakers and written proposals
Samir Amin, World Forum on Alternatives, Egypt
Marcy Kadenyeka, Kibera Peoples Settlement Network, Kenya
Luseni Kamara, trade unions, Republic of Guinea
Wangui Mbatia, Peoples Parliament, Kenya
Rose, Grass Roots Global Justice, USA
Phumi Mtetwa, LGTB South-South Dialogue
Salif Segou, RMDD and Jubilee South, Niger
No Vox, representing the “have nots” in all parts of the world: homeless, jobless, nameless, sans papiers, stateless
Sam Farai Monro, Uhuru Network, Zimbabwe
Camille Chalmers, PAPDA, Jubilee South, Haiti
Alessandra Mecozzi, FIOM/CGIL Italy, Labour and Globalisation Assembly
Hassan Sunmonu, Organisation for African Trade Union Unity
Danny Glover, TransAfrica Forum, actor, USA
George Martin, United for Peace and Justice, USA and Anti-war Assembly
Sidiki Daff, President of the People’s Research Centre for City Action (CERPAC), Senegal, African coordinator, International Alliance of Habitants
Antonio Carlos Spis, CUT, Brazil, for the Latin American and Caribbean social movements
Paul Kimba, Kenya
Rubens Diniz, Latin American and Caribbean Continental Student Organization (OCLAE)
Al-hassan Adam, The National Coalition Against Privatisation of Water, Ghana
Ruth Thomas Pellicer for the Climate Justice Strategy Group (Greenway International, France; etc group; Durban Group for Climate Justice; ECO PAX MUNDI, Kenya/UK; Tamilnadu Environment Council)
Jennifer, health movement, Kenya
Luciano Resende and Jessica Braitwaithe, International Youth and Student Forum and OCLAE
Jamal Juma’, Palestine delegation to the WSF, Stop the Wall (and also speaking for three other Palestinian speakers who graciously gave their slot to Jamal in the interests of time(
Immacula, Haiti solidarity movement:
Mondli Hlatshwayo, Social Movements Indaba, South Africa:
Fatimetsu, Coordination of the Saharawi Social Forum
Nicola Delussu, No Bases, Italia
Maria Olivia Sant’ana, Brasil
Okinawa law student
Trevor Ngwane, Anti-privatisation Forum South Africa
Sally Burch, ALAI, for the Global Campaign for Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)
PhilipThornhill, Global Climate Campaign, Campaign against Climate Change, Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth International:
On Migration (no name)
Hajja Fatma Abeyd, Kenya Anti-Rape Movement
Azril Bacal, Paulo Friere Institute, Brazil
Basic Income Grant ( Proposed: Claudia Haarma, seconded: Keith Vermeulen)
Invitation to the G8, Dorothea Haerlin and John Holloway
Transnational Unity in the Struggle for Migrant Workers Rights, Boston Delegation to the World Social Forum 2007
Déclaration sur la dette, Forum social de Nairobi, Kenya.
Summary of interventions from the floor and written proposals
1. Samir Amin, World Forum on Alternatives, Egypt:
Proposed new text:
We recognise that the diversity of movements and popular initiatives against neo-liberalism, world hegemony of capitalism and imperial wars, is an expression of a world resistance.]
We have now to move towards a phase of effective alternatives. Many local initiatives are already existing and should be expanded: what is happening in Latin America and other parts of the world — thanks to the joint action of social movements — shows the way to establish concrete alternatives to world capitalist domination.
(Note: this text has been added to the above declaration)
2. Marcy Kadenyeka, Kibera Peoples Settlement Network, Kenya:
We are hoping to work together as a social movements network. We are ready to work together and have changed our name from “slums” to peoples settlements. Must work together to get rid of corruption and high taxes, and to solve these problems: access to shelter, to land, and an end to evictions. We recommend that we are treated as Kenyans, as the rest of the people and please invite us to work with you so that we can work together.
3. Luseni Kamara, trade unions, Republic of Guinea:
Representing the working class of Guinea. I am here with another woman leader of the trade unions. We ask your support for the democratisation of Guinea, the struggle for social justice in Guinea. We have been on strike for two weeks with two objectives: rather than opening the dialogue with us the government has launched a huge repression and more than 50 comrades and citizens have been killed by the government in the past ten days of repression. We need your support to liberate our comrades who are in jail today. We ask the president of the government to nominate a new prime minister who can open a real debate with the people who are struggling. If this is not done, we will ask for the resignation of the president. Please join me in one minute of silence for the 50 victims.
4. Wangui Mbatia, Peoples Parliament, Kenya:
I come from a movement called the Peoples Parliament, a forum where people can come to discuss their problems. The PP represents the poorest constituency in Kenya: people who are too poor to get visas to emigrate to your countries, or too poor to travel to other four WSFs.
For many of us this is the first WSF. What I like about the WSF is that it brings the world to me as a Kenyan poor person: not only the world but the best of the world. In this room, I have met people who believe in the same things as the Peoples Parliament and people who are courageous enough to believe that a better world is possible. I am concerned that there are many Kenyans have not been able to attend the WSF. We have had to come every single morning to get those doors open so that ordinary Kenyan citizens can attend the WSF. We believe the WSF is a conversation by, between, and amongst people. It is not fair that 90 per cent of the people in the rooms are not Kenyans. That is not just. We have fought day after day after day to get in. But we are not just fighting to get in: we are fighting to be recognized because we are people too.
We may be poor materially but we all believed that we had something substantial to add to the WSF process. As you know, the Kasarani stadium is some distance from the city centre and from the places where we live, the informal residences called slums: we come from Kibera, Korogocho, different areas that we could not walk to get here. We realized that many people could not afford the entrance fee or the fare to get here, we organised a platform at Jivanjee Park where we discussed the same issues that you are discussing here: housing, unemployment, land issues, the right to social security, minimum wages as opposed to living wages, we discussed many things that make could make our world a better world. I am privileged to share some of the resolutions that we came up with at our forum that the ordinary citizens of our country could walk to, where they could find food at a reasonable price made by one Kenyan for another Kenyan, or for our visitors.
Housing: It is necessary for the WSF to encompass the right to housing as a basic human right and to struggle with and alongside those who do not have decent housing and to work alongside these movements.
Trade: We resolved that there is an unfair trade practice that creates imbalances and injustice: we need to inform people about the existing trade imbalances and work towards the nullification of any treaties that are punitive to ordinary citizens of any country especially citizens of developing and emerging nations.
Security and the war on terrorism: it is a grave injustice to convert our struggles for freedom struggles into terrorism and to punish our freedom fighters as terrorists, and we express our solidarity with the peoples of Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, and any peoples in the world living under occupation. It is a grave injustice to put people under such difficult circumstances and not expect them to react. Our freedom fighters are not terrorists: lay off them.
Employment, wages and work conditions: there is a need to work towards creating jobs that provide people with a living wage, to support trade unions which have become completely dormant, to address the disparity in wages that creates one class which is super rich and another that is absolutely poor, that makes poor people servants of the rich.
Debt: There is a need to cancel all debt, for all poor, developing and emerging countries; not fair that many of us are born poor with a debt in our hands.
5. Rose, Grass Roots Global Justice, USA:
Proposed amendment to the statement: We must take a stand on xenophobia, racism, all forms of ethnic intolerance and genocide.
6. Phumi Mtetwa, LGTB South-South Dialogue:
We co-organized the 4th Social Forum on Sexual Diversity, a permanent process aiming to position sexual diversity broadly within social movements’ debates and actions and inviting all social movements to make the vision of diversity their own. It is also a political space to discuss
the strengthening of our international organizations, campaigns, actions and solidarity.
For the first time since its launce in 2004, the SFSD had an unprecedented presence of African participation.
At the closing this morning there were five points that the comrades wanted conveyed to this assembly:
We reaffirm our commitment to the struggles of the peoples of the world for social justice, expressed through the diverse social movements participating in this assembly today, and in its network.
We express deep indignation at the commercialisation of the social movements and civil society space, the WSF, and the restrictions to participation of Kenyan comrades.
Committed to worldwide solidarity amongst our struggles, we call on all members of the assembly to support campaigns todecriminalise same sex conduct in every country.
We urge you to support the mobilisations for the respect of sexual diversity to make real the slogan “In a diverse world, equality is first” which will take place in June 2007 and 2008.
We will mobilise our movements across the world to actively participate in the calls expressed in the common agenda for action and during the global days of action in 2008.
7. Salif Segou, RMDD and Jubilee South, Niger:
It was unjust to discriminate against people so that they could not participate in this Forum. It is necessary to re-think the WSF, we have to pay attention to what happens in this space. Every day we fight injustice around the world: the WSF is for the movements, for the poor, for the marginalised, and we have to ensure that poor people can take part in the Forum. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and I invite you to visit to seethe real face of poverty and misery.
8. No Vox, representing the “have nots” in all parts of the world: homeless, jobless, nameless, sans papiers, stateless:
We appreciate that the WSF is in Africa, in Nairobi, and we support all the earlier statements about the entry fee, the price of food, the price of water, and the fact that there is a jail inside the Forum. We support all the solidarity actions of the past days to ensure that people could not only get into the forum but also eat and drink. We have to remember that the WSF does not change the world, even though it is an excellent place to meet: what changes the world are the struggles of the basic movements, the people who are oppressed. At the next forum we want the “have not” movements to be represented and to be involved in the construction of the forum from the beginning. We cannot reproduce in our own space that things that we struggle against
9. Sam Farai Monro, Uhuru Network, Zimbabwe:
We are a youth movement struggling against the dictatorship and against the effects of structural adjustment. In the housing sessions we have agreed on a global day of action on 18 May, to commemorate the anniversary of the Mugabe government’s eviction offensive.
10. Camille Chalmers, PAPDA, Jubilee South, Haiti:
Declaration On Debt: World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya (24th January 2007)
1. Campaigns, social movements, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations and activists from all around the world have gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for the 2007 World Social Forum. Together, we the undersigned participants of the World Social Forum are determined to achieve an end to debt domination. It is a scandal that the rich world demands hundreds of millions of dollars every day from the South in payment of ‘debts’ that have emerged from the unjust economic relations that impoverish the South and enrich the North. Indebtedness is still robbing the peoples of Africa, Latin America and Asia of their rights - their rights to independence and political autonomy, as well as to health, education, water and all the other essential goods and basic services which should be available to all.
2. The debt crisis is not just a financial problem for the countries of the South. It is also a political problem that is based on and reinforces unequal power relations: debt continues to be used as an instrument of control, through conditions attached to loans and debt relief. It is an instrument of leverage used by lender countries and lender-controlled
institutions to: aid the entry of their transnational corporations; enforce their foreign policy options and military and invasive strategies; secure favourable trade deals; and promote resource extraction from recipient countries.
3. It is also a responsibility of the North: their reckless, self-interested, irresponsible and exploitative lending has fostered this crisis, and their imposition of policies has deepened it. Wealthy governments, transnational companies, and institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO must all take responsibility for their roles in creating and perpetuating this situation. We also recognise the role of unaccountable and corrupt governments of the South in creating this debt. These governments must make restitution for their theft from and exploitation of peoples in the South.
4. We applaud the Norwegian campaigners, working in partnership and solidarity with Southern movements, who succeeded in convincing Norwegian government to be the first lender to cancel debts on the grounds of its own irresponsible lending. We know that their years of hard work have brought the Norwegian government to this position. We call on the G8 governments and other lenders to look at the debts which they are claiming, to question the justice and legitimacy of these claims, and to recognise their own responsibility. All lenders - governments, financial institutions and private companies - must take up this challenge.
5. We know that our strength lies in the commitment and determination of social movements, campaigns and individuals working in solidarity around the world. The challenge to the injustice of debt domination has come and still comes from these tireless and vocal efforts. This, over many years, has forced the debt crisis from being an issue that few knew about, and that many governments did not acknowledge, to being a subject of debate around the world. It has also brought successes such as that in Norway, and the realisation of official debt audits in Ecuador and other countries. We, Southern and Northern people’s movements and organisations, are determined to work and raise our voices together until our call for an end to debt domination becomes irresistible.
6. Given the human suffering caused by historical and continuing exploitation of the countries of the South, the imbalance of economic and political power, and the ecological devastation inflicted on the South by commercial interests, governments and institutions of the North, there is no question that the North is in fact in debt to the South. We assert that the South is the creditor of an enormous historical, social, cultural, political and ongoing ecological debt. This must be acknowledged, and restitution and reparations must be made.
7. We are calling for just economic relations between and within countries. We are NOT calling for lender-controlled initiatives to ease the financial flows of some impoverished countries, or for debt relief dependent on conditions set by the institutions of the North. We are calling for rich and powerful countries of the world to recognise that they are benefiting from and failing to take responsibility for the exploitation of the South. We assert the rights of peoples to hold their own governments to account, and call on governments to uphold those debts. We are calling for official and citizens’ audits of debt and a citizens’ audit of the international financial institutions. We are calling for systematic social control of public indebtedness. We are calling for debt cancellation without the imposition of conditions by lenders and for restitution and reparations. We stand in solidarity with governments who choose to repudiate illegitimate debt. We are calling for the total elimination of illegitimate, odious, unjust and unpayable debt.
Proposed calls to action:
A Global Week of Action against Debt - October 14 to 21
This week offers campaigners the opportunity to mark:
October 15 - 20th anniversary of the death of Thomas Sankara
October 16 - World Food Day
October 17 - International Day to Eradicate Poverty
October 20 - World Youth Day
October 19-21 - IMF-WB Annual meetings
The call to governments during the Week of Action will be:
South - debt repudiaton/North - debt cancellation
Fasts to protest against debt domination
40-day rolling fast from September 6 to October 15 (week of action) in USA
‘One lunch for Africa’: a proposal for African / Southern campaign groups to fast over one lunchtime, during the rolling fast and for two days before the G8 meeting.
Use occasion of governmental summits to raise the call for debt cancellation
G8, June 2007: media and via mobilizations in Germany and elsewhere (Mali)
Commonwealth Heads of Government, November 2007: mobilisation in
Uganda
Call for audits
Official/government and citizens’ debt audits, and a citizens’ audit of the IFIs
Call for endorsements by prominent individuals
Call on elected representatives, faith leaders and other prominent individuals - both South and North - to associate themselves with these actions and demands
(see French text at end)
11. Alessandra Mecozzi, FIOM/CGIL Italy, Labour and Globalisation Assembly:
First of all would like to say thank you for this WSF which was a great event in spite of our obstacles, disagreements, difficulties and perhaps mistakes. Congratulations also on this social movements assembly, where we are more than 2,000.
The workers needs social movements and the social movements need trade unions to fight neoliberalism. We are all against war, we are all against occupation, we are against the economic war brought by neoliberal policies and the multinational companies against the workers of the world.
The proposal from the Labour and Globalisation Assembly is to create a permanent international network jointly with trade unions, social movements, researchers and research centres in order to strengthen our work on issues related to work, culture and workers’ rights in face of neoliberal globalisation’s attack. The aim is to have a permanent exchange of experiences; to discuss a new and enlarged understanding of labour (productive and reproductive work, formal and informal); to strengthen alliances between movements and trade unions and intellectuals; to go beyond defensive and isolated struggles; to confront the meaning of production (what to produce and how, for whom); to map all different labour actors and to enlarge the network.
We want to establish a permanent collaboration and solidarity to answer the big challenges for all workers: informal, formal, women and men workers, child labour. We want to create a new way to think and act together in our common struggles.
We will also participate in the Global Day of Action
This proposal is supported by FIOM, CGIL, CUT, New Trade Union Initiative, World March of Women, IMF- International Metalworkers Union, Transform Italia and many other.
12. Hassan Sunmonu, Organisation for African Trade Union Unity:
On behalf of the African trade unions and the international unions present here at the WSF, we ask all the social formations across the world to support decent work as a global agenda against poverty, against underdevelopment, so that the world will be a better place.
13. Danny Glover, TransAfrica Forum, actor, USA:
Amandla! I am so happy to be here with you, as I listen to your own testimony, to your own stories, to this assembly of social movements. The element of that is the everyone has an opportunity to talk and tell their own stories. To talk about their successes, to talk about their failures, to talk about their movement. This is critical to our individual and collective growth. We must always find venues to tell our own stories.
I am here representing Trans Africa Forum. TAF is celebrating 30 years of existence: TAF’s history was carved and solidified through its engagement with the anti-apartheid movement and through its engagement with the restoration of democracy in Haiti and the return of President Aristide to his office in 1994. We are here to be part of something else that is happening in civil society. Too often we have allowed the leaders to dictate our actions. We have to allow the movement of people on the ground — whether they are women or artisans or labourers — to be the clarion call of what is to be done. We have to support and encourage that effort. You are the embodiment of that effort right now: your voice, your vision, is primary in what needs to be done to stop and defeat the policies of oppression, the policies which keep us apart, and keep us from telling the truth about out own existence. You are the essence of that. Amandla!
14. George Martin, United for Peace and Justice, Anti-war Assembly:
For a global mobilisation on the weekend of 20 March
Call against the global non-ending US pre-emptive war
Adopted at the anti-war assembly 24 January 2007, Nairobi, Kenya.
1. STOP THE WAR AND BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME!
No Control of Iraq Oil!
Close all the US bases in Iraq!
Compensation and Justice for Iraqi victims and detainees!
2. STOP THE REGIONAL WARS!
End the Israeli Occupation of Palestine!
Strengthen boycotts, sanctions, and divestments against Israeli occupation!
Stop the threats to Iran!
Troops out of Afghanistan!
Stop bombing Somalia!
Stop US support for warlords and other US backed surrogates in Africa!
Support for peaceful resolution to Darfur crisis! No military intervention!
Stop violations of civil liberties and human rights in the name of anti-terrorism!
Peace and love!
CALENDAR OF ACTIONS:
February 24: NO TRIDENT, Troops out of Iraq Demo, London, UK
(Contact: campaigns(at)cnduk.org; office(at)stopwar.org.uk)
5-9 March 2007 : International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign
Military Bases, Quito/Manta, Ecuador, (Contact: nobases(at)yahoo.com)
17-20: Global Days of Action against Occupation of Iraq
29 March - 1 April 2007: Fifth Cairo Conference, Cairo, Egypt
(Contact: office(at)stopwar.org.uk/02072786694)
2 June 2007: G8 Protests, Rostock, Germany, call for all anti-war coalitions to put anti-war effort in the centre of the protest against the G8
15 May 2007: Global Protests marking the Palestine Nakbah
7-9 June: Global Days of Action to protest 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine Territories
29 November 2007: Call for Solidarity Activities with Palestine (global)
May 2008: “Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War” 2008, Tokyo, Japan
(Contact: article-9(at)peaceboat.gr.jp)
15. Sidiki Daff, President of the People’s Research Centre for City Action (CERPAC), Senegal, African coordinator, International Alliance of Habitants
We have to globalise our struggle against injustice and for that purpose we have two concrete proposals:
The first is the denunciation of exclusion from housing. We would like to engage in a worldwide campaign on “zero evictions” which will start in October. Even today as I am talking to you, expulsions and evictions are continuing in this country.
We are also calling for a coordination between movements — those who are fighting against debt, those who are fighting for housing, and those who are fighting for workers — to co-ordinate their struggles.
ZERO EVICTIONS CAMPAIGN
Proposal to establish a popular fund for the right to decent housing through debt cancellation with the monitoring and active participation of civil society it is possible to pressure the creditor governments for the operation of debt cancellation and the following investments in housing programmes. But they have to be monitored and administered by management committees and control committees composed of civil society of both the governments, as is already happening in Guinea, Zambia and recently Kenya.
Proposed by International Alliance of Habitants, Local Authorities Forum, Comboni Missionaries, Nairobi Campaign, AITEC. (cesare.ottolini(at)libero.it, smarcuz(at)libero.it) (from written text)
16. Antonio Carlos Spis, CUT, Brazil, for the Latin American and Caribbean
social movements
The participation in this Social Forum reflects the growth of an anti-imperialist conscience which is spreading throughout the planet, confirming the necessity to construct new economic, political and social relationships based on peace and solidarity. Our organisation and humanity rejects the neo-colonial system which has aggravated the conditions of many people and which is erasing sovereignty in countries where profit and power is concentrated in transnational companies and financial capital. So, in the words of the Angolan poet Antonio Netto, to construct this new world it is not enough that our cause is just and pure: purity and justice should exist within us. More than words, the fight to transform humanity needs actions that will bring together our hearts and our consciousness. Unfortunately this is not what we saw at this social forum. Because many Kenyan organisations were unable to participate because of logistical and economic reasons within their country.
For the social movements of Latin America and the Caribbean, the actions and mobilisations necessary to bring together this social forum as an expression of our good will for the people are to:
– define a global calendar of demonstrations that will fight for peace and against war and defend social rights and the environment, in March 2007
– guarantee within the WSF the realisation of the assemblies of the social movements
– and to bring together the various movements to bring us forward to the next forum
– bring together all the organisations and information centres even when the social forums are not in operation
– construct an international mission for human rights to Mexico and
– remove the troops from Haiti
17. Paul Kimba, Kenya
This day will go down in history as an event that will stay in people’s memories. The Kenyans need the support of this community to remove this government from power. We need solidarity from all over the world, the government of Kenya has to go home: its time has come.
18. Rubens Diniz, Latin American and Caribbean Continental Student Organization (OCLAE)
The Indigenous Peoples Forum is proposing Evo Morales for a Nobel prize. The indigenous forums from Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, as well as Via Campesina, OCLAE, we are asking to the movements and to leaders and personalities to launch together the candidacy of Evo Morales for the Nobel prize. This would be the first time in history that an indigenous leader, a leader of a popular movement, would be nominated; he is totally committed to the people of his country. Viva solidarity with Ecuador, Viva Evo Morales.
19. Al-hassan Adam, The National Coalition Against Privatisation of Water, Ghana:
Representing water activists from across Africa, and across the globe
Building on principles from previous gatherings and the declarations of previous World Social Forums, including Caracas, and the International Forum for the Defense of Water in Mexico City, we commit to the following principles and priorities for advancing the struggle for water for all:
Principles:
1. Water is a human right and a common good to be sustainably managed for people and nature
2. Water must be managed by participatory processes and through democratically and socially controlled public systems
3. Governments must implement sufficient financing to achieve water for all
Priorities:
1. We celebrate the launch of the new African Water Network, supported by activists from more than 40 African countries, plus social movements from around the world. This new network is committed to work against the privatisation of water and joins other strong regional water networks, like Red Vida in the Americas.
2. We will advance Public-Public Partnerships to improve access to, and quality of, public services including, concretely, the Latin American initiative of progressive public water companies and movements.
3. We commit to mobilise all our networks for the decentralised day of action of the World Social Forum in January 2008.
4. We, the diverse actors of the movements, will gather at the World Assembly of Citizens and Elected Officials, March 18-20 2007, in the European Parliament in Brussels, to demand that governments implement the right to water before the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which is 10 December 2008. From this point, via the global action month, Blue October, and other mobilisations, we will challenge the illegitimate World Water Forum, Istanbul March 2009. We pledge to replace this illegitimate forum, controlled by the undemocratic and corporate-biased World Water Council. The movements will collectively propose and organise a truly democratic and representative Global Water Assembly.
20. Ruth Thomas Pellicer , for the Climate Justice Strategy Group (Greenway International, France; etc group; Durban Group for Climate Justice; ECO PAX MUNDI, Kenya/UK; Tamilnadu Environment Council):
Climate change is an issue of global justice. The only solution is structural change to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels. We reject carbon trading via free market fraud that commodifies and further destroys land, water and air.
Climate change offers us a platform that can gather local struggles and make them global struggles, that can bring many struggles together: on land, food and water sovereignty, the external and the ecological debt, women.
Call for an International Day of Action on Climate Change, 8 December
21. Jennifer, health movement, Kenya
These are not proposals, they are demands:
Must provide clean water to people living in slums and rural areas
Must provide garbage collection in urban areas and in slums, in a timely and efficient matter
Must provide better and free care services by increasing hospital staff, building new facilities, and introducing mobile clinics to remote areas
Drugs should be free or cheap and available, especially anti-retroviral drugs seeing that over a million people in Kenya are living with HIV
Provision of land and housing for people displaced by the Nairobi so-called beautification project and similar projects in other areas: if you cannot resettle them do not move them.
Monitor and enforce legislation on female genital mutilation, and finally
A warning the WHO that Africans and Asians are not your guinea pigs: do not come here to test your drugs on us.
22. Luciano Resende amd Jessica Braitwaithe, International Youth and Student Forum and OCLAE
Students have historically participated in all progressive movements. We are calling on the socialist movement to ensure that young people to become real protagonists in these movements. Students and young people are showing their growing willingness to participate in these movements, especially in the social forums.
The International Youth and Student Forum calls for:
free access to education at all levels, and expanding the fight against carving up of education by neoliberal policies
free access to all kinds of knowledge and information
autonomy of students as a social subject and their emancipation from the market
right to education for all those under occupation and in war
will fight against any kind of imperialism and stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in occupied territories
right to mobility for asylum seekers and students to cross borders
We saw the power and vibrancy of the student movement in the anti-war movement. We are fighting today for a better tomorrow.
(Written text follows)
We propose that all students fight against the neo-liberal agenda and imperialism of our education. Also, that we fight as a united student movement to ensure another world is possible. We call for an international student day of action on 17 November 2007.
23. Jamal Juma’, Palestine delegation to the WSF, Stop the Wall, and also speaking for three other Palestinian speakers who graciously gave their slot to Jamal in the interests of time:
We appreciate the statement from the anti-war assembly this morning. We would like to add the global days of action for Palestine. We are calling for your support.
We are determined to build the movement for boycott, disinverstment and sanctions against Israeli occupation and apartheid and call for:
Global days of action on 9/10 June 2007 to mark the 40th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Syrian Golan Heights, under the banner “The world says no to Israeli Occupation”
Global day of action on 15 May to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian nakbah (catastrophe) and calling for the implementation of resolution 194 which calls for the right of the Palestinian people to return to their land.
24. Immacula, Haiti solidarity movement:
We are here to call on the social movements of the world to be present in Haiti — an African population in the middle of the Americas. We are proposing a social forum in solidarity with Haiti to be held 14 August 2007. The objective of the world forum is that all progressive social movements will be present in Haiti to denounce the occupation by the military, and to demand that France cancel the debt of Haiti, a debt of 22 billion dollars which we will use to reconstruct our country. We are asking at the WSF that all of you present form an international solidarity committee of all the countries of the world to overthrow the imperialism of Haiti and to free humanity from the imperial blade.
25. Mondli Hlatshwayo, Social Movements Indaba, South Africa:
The network of South African social movement agreed on the following in Durban in December:
We are committing ourselves to a struggle against NEPAD and noting that South Africa is playing an imperialist role in the African continent
We are aware that South Africa companies are recolonising the continent.
We will fight xenophobia
We are opposed to any form of privatisation
We support 20 March as a global day against war and US imperialism, Israeli occupation, and against the wars in Africa
26. Fatimetsu, Coordination of the Saharawi Social Forum
I am from Western Sahara a country which for the past 320 or more years has been divided into two, one part occupied by Morocco. One of the few countries still under occupation. I have lived for more than 20 years separated from my family, in a refugee camp, surrounded by land mines and tanks and soldiers.
We have just one call to the international community:
No to the occupation of Western Sahara. Support the self-determination of the peoples.
Written proposal to the World Social Forum
The undersigning organisations participating to the 7th World Social Forum and movements of the Saharawi civil society members of the Coordination for a Saharawi Social Forum.
Propose the organisation of a thematic social forum on refugees and their rights under the title “A new world is possible, a world without refugees”, which will be organised in the Saharawi refugees camps.
We will inform you later about the exact dates, thematic list and other technical details concerning this event.
27. Nicola Delussu, No Bases, Italia:
NO TO THE ENLARGEMENT OF VICENZA BASE!
Resolution Adopted at No Bases session, World Social Forum
(from written text)
The Assembly Organised by the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases held in the World Social Forum on January 22-23 gives its solidarity to the people of Vicenza and to all the mobilisations against the enlargement of the American military base there. This enlargement, approved by the Italian government, represents a challenge for the people of this town and more generally, for all movements against war.
The enlargement of the Vincenza base transformed the town into the host of the biggest US military base in Europe. This development comes out once again from the logic of servility to the Politics of Bush and his idea of the Permanent War that goes on to provoke death all over the world, from Iraq to Somalia. The majority of the Italian people said No to the war yet the enlargement of this base represents instead Italy’s consent and support for policies and military actions which allow civilian populations to be bombed.
The Assembly expresses its full solidarity to the march and mobilisation of February 17th and commits itself as much as possible towards solidarity action.
No to the enlargement of Vinceza base; American military bases out of Italy
28. Maria Olivia Sant’ana, Brasil
My name is Maria Olivia Sant’ana and I represent the black movement in Brasil. I am here at the social forum to make sure that the social forum takes up the fight against racism: we cannot fight against neoliberalism if we don’t fight against racism. I want to establish a new world order, to repair the damage that has been done, to develop the autodependence of peoples in Africa. For only half of the 20th century have black people in Africa succeeded in liberating themselves from the colonisers: we need liberty, self rule and equality for black people.
29. Okinawa law student
We denounce the military production done in our communities in war time as well as in peace time. We need to solve military related environmental problems.
We must work to:
End the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Palestine,
Build an international coalition against military production
Collect information about military environmental issues to strengthen communities and build international awareness
Convey information to decision-makers
Encourage local governments, states and international organisations to develop more practical polices to deal with military environmental issues, especially contamination
30. Trevor Ngwane, Anti-privatisation Forum South Africa
We note especially the days of action on against war, in support of Palestine, the G8. These and all the proposals will be presented to the WSF international council.
Comrades, let us go home and continue the struggle. Remember the WSF is important, but it is only an event: the work is on the ground. We must link up with the millions and millions of people who are oppressed and exploited by the bourgeoisie and the capitalists.
Comrades, let us go home. To the Kenyan we say fare thee well: we had a good time, we appreciate your friendliness and your humanity, in spite of the capitalism which make you live in the mud.
We must defend the WSF as a space of resistance and keep the bosses out of our Forum.
OTHER WRITTEN PROPOSALS
31. Sally Burch, ALAI, for the Global Campaign for Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)
At a convergence session convened on 24 January, the following agenda items were agreed on:
1. Communications rights are fundamental to democratic processes, to the organisation and struggles of social movements and to the exercise of all human rights
2. Information, communication and knowledge must be recognized as common goods and public services, not commodities
3. We therefore call on all social movements:
– to claim communications rights to be enforced in public policy, information, communications and knowledge should be kept out of trade agreements
– to claim the electrical/radio spectrum and Internet as public goods which must be open, free and accessible to all
– to mobilise on the common day of action in January 2008 around the issues and to link them to other social struggles
(Contact: Sally Burch, info(at)alainet.org)
32. PhilipThornhill, Global Climate Campaign, Campaign against Climate Change, Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth International:
We support international demonstration in December 2007 for climate justice and an effective emissions reduction treaty.
33. On Migration (no name)
We denounce the European security policies on migration. We will fight for the right of migrants and for the free movements of all people;
We propose a day of action for the rights of migrants and the free movement of peoples on 7 October 2007, in commemoration of the tragedies of Cueta and Melillla.
34. Hajja Fatma Abeyd, Kenya Anti-Rape Movement
Many children are being sexually exploited, both boys and girls. They are also abused by tourists. Call: to end exploitation by urging all police stations to extend child protection units to the people on the ground and to protect schools.
35. Azril Bacal, Paulo Friere Institute, Brazil
Along with out identification of shared struggles ahead, we also commit ourselves to reclaim all the planetary resources, natural, social, cultural and scientific — for the equal use of all inhabitants of our generous blue planet in an equal and sustainable way.
36. Basic Income Grant
Workshop on the Basic Income Grant (South Africa) held at the
7th World Social Forum held Sunday 21st January 2007 Nairobi, Kenya
The 7th World Social Forum, meeting under the theme “Another world is possible”, 20-25 January 2007, in Nairobi, Kenya, recognizes research, advocacy and policy work done by various stakeholders in South Africa and elsewhere on comprehensive social security and especially the introduction of a Basic Income Grant in order to address chronic poverty and gross inequality inherited from successive apartheid regimes.
The Forum also recognises that three countries, namely Brazil, Namibia and South Africa, have similar high GINI coefficients of wealth distribution include deepened levels of poverty and joblessness and therefore have made compelling cases for the introduction of a universal income grant/social transfers as an integral part of comprehensive social security. These contexts indicate the presence of fertile soil for the implementation of a Universal Income Grant (or Basic Income Grant, as referred to in South Africa) as an urgent and speedy measure of redress for past and inherited social structures of inequity and therefore of economic injustice.
The 7th World Social Forum resolves, therefore, to:
1.Place the issue of Universal Income Grant (or cash transfers and or a Basic Income Grant) as part of comprehensive social security on its future agenda;
2.Send a message of support to campaigners and advocacy groups supporting a Basic Income Grant as well as to members of the ruling African National Congress of South Africa. The Social Forum commends the advocacy, research and policy work already done on a Basic Income Grant and calls on all role players and stakeholders to strengthen and deepen their efforts in order to advocate government to introduce the speediest measures for its introduction; and
3.Commends the above decisions to the World Council of Churches and All Africa Conference of Churches on a Basic Income Grant for consideration and further discussion on their platforms.
Proposed: Claudia Haarman
Seconded: Keith Vermeulen
37. Invitation to the G8, Dorothea Haerlin and John Holloway:
Many of us met in Porto Alegre in 2005 and have kept in touch since then through an e-mail list (“ants”). Only a few of us have met since then, but we have certainly multiplied many times over.
In June 2007 we have an opportunity to come together again. At the beginning of June the supposedly most powerful 8 Gangsters (G8) are meeting in Heiligendamm, near Rostock, Germany. We know that many are already thinking about how to give these Eight and appropriate welcome. In Genoa the slogan was “you are 8, we are 6,000,000.000!”
We are going to be there too and are planning a new meeting with as many of you as possible, you who are already trying to live in dignity in-against-and beyond capitalism, wherever you may be on this planet. We think it would be a good idea to show ourselves at this meeting, to make our daily rebellion visible and, coming from as many corners of the earth as possible, to give ourselves new energy and strength for going further.
We look forward to seeing you and to hearing your ideas for this meeting.
CONTACT: dorotheahaerlin(at)gmx.de
38. Transnational Unity in the Struggle for Migrant Workers Rights
Boston Delegation to the World Social Forum 2007
Monday, January 22, Moi International Sports Center - Nairobi
We propose that May Day 2007, International Workers Day, be dedicated to the rights of migrant workers of the world and that the call for freedom and respect for migrant workers rights be heard in all the countries of the world.
39. Déclaration sur la dette, Forum social de Nairobi, Kenya, 24 janvier 2007
1. Mouvements sociaux, campagnes, organisations non gouvernementales, organisations de communautés, organisations religieuses et militants du monde entier, se sont rassemblés à Nairobi, au Kenya pour le Forum Social Mondial 2007. Ensemble, nous sommes déterminés à stopper la domination du mécanisme de la dette. Il est inacceptable que les puissants du Nord demandent des centaines de millions de dollars chaque jour au Sud pour le paiement d’une dette qui a été formée lors de relations économiques injustes, qui ont appauvri le Sud et enrichi le Nord. L’endettement prive les peuples d’Afrique, d’Amérique Latine et d’Asie de leurs droits fondamentaux: droit à l’indépendance, droit à l’autonomie politique mais aussi droit à la santé, à l’éducation et aux autres biens essentiels et services de base.
2. La crise de la dette n’est pas seulement un problème financier pour les pays du Sud. C’est aussi un problème politique basé sur des relations de pouvoir inégales. Le mécanisme de la dette continue d’être utilisé comme un instrument de contrôle au travers des conditionnalités des prêts et des annulations de dette. C’est une arme utilisée par les pays prêteurs et les institutions pour faciliter l’entrée des multinationales, pour renforcer leurs stratégies militaires et leurs politiques étrangères, pour assurer la sécurité des contrats favorables aux multinationales, pour promouvoir l’extraction des ressources naturelles des pays emprunteurs.
3. C’est aussi une responsabilité du Nord: Son inconscience, ses intérêts, ses prêts irresponsables ont favorisé cette crise. Les gouvernements riches, les multinationales, et les institutions comme le FMI, la Banque mondiale, l’OMC doivent reconnaître leurs responsabilités pour le rôle qu’ils ont joué dans la création et la poursuite de cette situation.Nous reconnaissons aussi le rôle des gouvernements corrompus du Sud dans la création de cette dette. Ces gouvernements doivent restituer ces sommes volées aux peuples exploités du Sud.
4. Nous applaudissons les campagnes et militants norvégiens qui, travaillant en partenariat et en solidarité avec les pays du Sud, ont réussi à convaincre le gouvernement norvégien d’être le premier prêteur à annuler des dettes illégitimes. Dans un souci de justice, nous appelons les gouvernements du G8 et les autres créanciers à analyser leurs comptes et à reconnaître leurs responsabilités.
5. Nous savons que notre force repose sur l’engagement et la détermination des mouvements sociaux, campagnes et individus qui travaillent solidairement à travers le monde. Les mouvements sociaux doivent relever le défi de l’annulation de la dette. Il est fondamental que la crise de la dette soit connue de tous et qu’elle devienne un véritable sujet de débat. Notre engagement a abouti ces dernières années à quelques succès, notamment à l’annulation (mentionnée plus haut) de la dette par la Norvège ou à la réalisation d’audits publics en Equateur et dans d’autres pays. Nous, peuples, organisations, mouvements du Sud et du Nord, sommes déterminés à travailler et élever nos voix jusqu’à ce que notre appel pour la fin de la domination de la dette se réalise enfin.
6. Les souffrances humaines ont été causées par l’exploitation historique et continue des pays du Sud, le déséquilibre du pouvoir politique et économique et le ravage écologique dicté par des intérêts commerciaux et les politiques des gouvernements et institutions du Nord. Nous affirmons que le Sud est créancier d’une énorme dette historique, sociale, culturelle, politique et écologique. Cela doit être connu et faire l’objet d’une réparation et d’une restitution.
7. Nous exigeons des relations économiques justes entre les pays et à l’intérieur même de ces pays. Nous n’appelons pas à des initiatives contrôlées par les pays prêteurs pour faciliter la circulation des capitaux des pays pauvres, ou pour un allègement de dette sous conditions imposées par les institutions du Nord. Nous appelons les pays riches et puissants du monde à reconnaître qu’ils ont bénéficié de l’exploitation du Sud et ont échoué dans leur prise de responsabilité. Nous affirmons le droit des peuples à obtenir des gouvernements qu’ils rendent des comptes sur les tenants et aboutissants de leur dette. Nous appelons à des audits officiels et citoyens de la dette ainsi qu’à un audit citoyen des institutions financières internationales. Nous appelons à un contrôle social systématique de l’endettement public. Nous appelons à l’annulation inconditionnelle de la dette, à des restitutions et à des réparations. Nous soutenons les gouvernements qui ont choisi de répudier cette dette illégitime. Nous appelons à l’annulation totale de cette dette odieuse, illégitime, injuste et impayable.
Appel à des actions:
Semaine d’actions globales contre la dette du 14 au 21 octobre 2007
Cette semaine marque:
le 15 octobre, le vingtième anniversaire de l’assassinat de Thomas Sankara (président du Burkina Faso)
le 16 octobre, la journée mondiale de l’alimentation
le 17 octobre, la journée mondiale pour l’éradication de la pauvreté
le 20 octobre, la journée mondiale de la jeunesse
le 19-21 octobre, la rencontre annuelle de la Banque mondiale et du FMI.
Cette semaine d’actions appelle les gouvernements du Sud à répudier la dette et les gouvernements du Nord à annuler cette dette.
Un jeûne pour protester contre la domination de la dette
40 jours de jeûne continu et tournant, du 6 septembre au 15 octobre (semaine d’actions) aux Etats-Unis.
« Un repas pour l’Afrique », proposition à concrétiser.
Utiliser les rencontres et les sommets des gouvernements pour appeler à l’annulation de la dette
Juin 2007, G8, mobilisations et communication médiatique en Allemagne et dans les autres pays (Sommet des peuples au Mali pendant le G8).
Rencontre des chefs de gouvernement du Commonwealth, novembre 2007, mobilisation en Ouganda.
Appel pour des audits
Audits officiels et citoyens de la dette et audit citoyen des institutions internationales financières.
Appel pour un appui des leaders et représentants
Appel aux élus, aux leaders religieux et autres leaders et représentants, du Sud comme du Nord, de s’associer à ces actions et à ces appels.